Lone seeks hassle free movement of Fruit laden trucks on Jmu-Srinagar highway

New Delhi : The Jammu and National Conference Member of Parliament from Baramulla Muhammad Akbar Lone decried the measure of not allowing Fruits laden trucks to ply swiftly on Jammu-Srinagar highway, saying the administration has turned mute towards the issues faced by the orchardists.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Lone said the unnecessary stalling of the movement of fruit laden trucks on Srinagar-Jammu highway by the forces and traffic police authorities’ causes’ spoilage of the perishable fruit worth lakhs of crores. He said the measure of creating bottlenecks on the sole national highway connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country besides halting the vital economic activities of J&K is also creating distressing people associated with the transport sector. “The measure of halting the movement of fruit laden trucks is despoiling the fruit and decreasing its value there upon, “he said.
Lone said the people associated with the horticulture sector despite the neglect of the government kept the viable sector going by borrowing money to purchase the required pesticides and fertilizers pinning hopes on the annual produce to repay the loan installments due to banks. During the previous year he said the fruit sector of Kashmir incurred heavy losses due the vagaries of weather and subsequent clampdown and COVID-19 induced lockdown and much to the surprise of the horticulturalist the recompose given by the government was nothing as compared to losses suffered by them. Notwithstanding the unconcerned attitude of the government, the farmers withstood all the odds and worked hard day in, day out, but the attitude of the government and concerned traffic department is again pushing them to the wall.
He urged the GOI to ensure up gradation of Mughal road as a viable alternative to Jammu –Srinagar highway. “The situation on Mughal road is no different; the stretch of road connecting Shopian and with the frontier districts of Poonch, and Rajouri is also marred with frequent logjams. There is no respite for the horticulturalists. The administration on its part has turned volt face to the problems faced by them. It also seems that the undue measure is being deliberately carried out to weaken Kashmiris economically,” he said.
He impressed upon the government to ensure hassle free traffic on the Srinagar Jammu highway and ensure swift movement of Fruit laden trucks on priority basis. He also impressed on the GOI to upgrade the Mughal Road and make it a working alternative to NH1. He also impressed on the government to make Mughal road an all weather linkage between the rest of the country and Kashmir.